


Christmas

by Shippertrash_05



Series: Starcrossed [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), DC Cinematic Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Chance Meetings, Character Death, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Start of Something New
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 10:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12862929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shippertrash_05/pseuds/Shippertrash_05
Summary: Steve decides to spend Christmas alone this year.He doesn't have Bucky, or Thea anymore.So why not spend the holidays alone?Diana sees him at the restaurant and decides neither of them should be alone that night.





	Christmas

Steve always had loved Christmas. As a child, it was his favorite holiday, even if he would only spend it with his mother and Bucky. They were his family after all, back then.

Luckily for him, he didn't have to spend a Christmas alone since he had been back. He spent them all with Thea, sometimes with Tony and the avengers too. Point is; Steve hadn't been alone for his favorite holiday, until today.

Thea had died from her cancer months ago, and Bucky had been back into cryogenesis until they found a way to remove his triggers. Steve had left the Avengers, he was no longer Captain America. Sam had invited him to his Christmas with his family; so did Clint and Scott, out of pity probably. But Steve didn't want to intrude on their families. Christmas was too sacred for Steve for him to do that. 

The two people he had wanted to spend Christmas with were gone. 

And it hit him harder than ever.

Not wanting to spend his Christmas alone, he had gone to the family restaurant he usually went with Thea for their first Christmas tradition, asking for the same table hey always requested; the one near the Christmas tree. 

He knew nothing could bring her back, but being there made him feel like he wasn't alone, and he was there with a small part of her.

He could picture her again, sitting across from him, and Steve's eyes were soon enough filled with tears.

"I wish you were here," he whispered. "You always wanted to be just with Steve Rogers. What do you know. I'm not Captain America anymore. I'm just me. And you're not even there to see it," he continued before he looked over his menu. He must look like a madman talking to himself right there. 

"Life's just cruel."

Diana had always spent Christmas alone. She hadn’t wanted it any other way. Not that she had much of a choice, considering she only ever had herself. But she wanted more ever since Steve Trevor. She had felt a slight emptiness since the soldier had been taken from her. _‘Sacrificed himself to save so many lives. And here I am doing nothing. He would be ashamed.’_ She breathed deeply, tilting her head back and staring up at the sky as the snow fell, just like that night a century ago.   
  
She ran her fingers through the long tangles of brunette tresses, glancing around her for a moment. She focused on the small restaurant, the families that filled it. Her heart throbbed at the sight of a little blond girl with her parents. Two dads. A blonde and a brunette. It made her smile, that simple sight of happiness on her otherwise self pitying night. But as her eyes scanned further, they settled on a man by himself near the Christmas tree. He looked so defeated that it made her heart ache.   
  
Diana had no idea what compelled her as she stepped forward, moving into the restaurant and slipping the warm coat from around her shoulders. She moved slowly toward the man as he glanced at his menu. She sat across from him, her heart having taken over as she tucked her hair behind her ear and stared at the man.   
  
“I’m sorry I’m late.” Were the only words that escaped her lips as she smiled at the man in front of her.

Steve was lost in his thoughts, lost in his imaginary conversation with Thea. He was losing it, wasn't he?   
  
He looked up when he heard the woman's voice, assuming it was the waitress apologizing because she had taken too much time to take his order.    
  
But when he saw her sitting across from him he was evidently confused.   
  
He chuckled a little. "I think you have the wrong table, ma'am."

Diana couldn’t help but smile a little as she opened her menu, as if this spot was exactly where she belonged. And his little ‘ma’am’ made her heart squeeze a bit.   
  
“Actually I think I have the exact table I wanted to be at. Granted you truthfully didn’t expect me.” She admitted and glanced up at him from her menu. “I haven’t been called ma’am in a long time. Most people aren’t so....” she paused for a moment, trailing off in search of the right word. “Courteous these days.” She murmured softly.   
  
“Anyways, yes I have the right table. I’m sorry to interrupt but I felt... well I sort of saw you through the window and felt as if no one should be alone on Christmas.”  _ ‘Like I am.’ _ She didn’t voice the last part. She was sure the man would think her crazy for sitting with a perfect stranger.

Who was this woman really? Consider Steve completely speechless-- and a little amused. Not in a mocking or offending way of course, but more in a lifting his spirit from the pain for a second kind of amused.    
  
Of course Steve was as courteous as he could get. "It's a shame they aren't," Steve pointed out. He remember how things were different a century ago.   
  
He was agreeably surprised by her answer truthfully. But did see a flaw in her thinking. "Like you are?" He asked; it wasn't as if she was accompanied by anyone else.    
  
He then chuckled a little and put his menu down on the table. "My apologies. I didn't mean to pry," he added. He then offered her a fond smile before he carried on. "Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Diana hummed softly and nodded. “Truly a shame.” She mused in a soft tone, tucking her hair behind her ear. She glanced up at him as he finished her thought for her, a light flush to her cheeks. “They have always said misery loves company, right?” She joked softly, biting her bottom lip.   
  
She watched as he put his menu down, smiling back at the sight of his smile. “It’s perfectly fine. There’s no hiding that fact really.” She gave a little shrug of her shoulders, setting her own menu down as she looked up at him. “It’s nothing to be thanked for.” She nibbled on her lip. “I would say any decent human being would do it, but that’s not too true of this day and age.” She chuckled softly.   
  
“I obviously have one condition really. I’m Diana, and you are?” She tilted her head, lips turning up into a sweet smile.

Not many thought like Steve and it was understandable; the man came from another era entirely. Of course, so did she, but it wasn't like he knew that.    
  
He chuckled a little. "Apparently so," he pointed out. "Still. I shouldn't be prying on a lady like that," he added; scolding himself mentally a little. But he wasn't in the right mindset right now, and it was understandable.    
  
He looked at his menu again; eyebrows raising the moment she spoke again. "I'm afraid in this day and age no strangers talk to each other anymore," he declared, not realizing that he hadn't even introduced himself yet.    
  
"How rude of me, I'm sorry," he genuinely said as he put his menu down again, handing his hand over the table for her to shake it. "Steve. It is very nice to meet you, Diana."

Diana grinned slightly. “I haven’t been called a lady in ages either.” She beamed at him. She decided she quite liked this man with his old fashioned morals. He was the kind of guy any girl would have dreamed of, she had no doubt. “Nobody really talks to anyone anymore. Unless it’s a text message.” She snorted. “Or Facebook.”   
  
She almost flinched. Her heart stopping in her chest as processed his words.  _ ‘Steve....’ _ No. No. She curled her fingers into fists on her lap, staring at his hand for a moment.  _ ‘No... there’s no way. Stop trying to fool yourself Diana.’ _ She swallowed roughly, composing herself quickly and reaching for his hand.   
  
And yet she couldn’t help but imagining Steve Trevor staring back at her from across the table. Her heart gave an uneasy lurch. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “You... it’s nice to meet you Steve..” she blinked quickly, the image of  _ her _ Steve vanishing from sight. She was still shaken up, as if she might be sick.

"Really?" He asked her, surprised. "Perhaps you haven't been hanging out with the right type of men," he declared although he hoped she wouldn't find that offending in any way.   
  
He chuckled at Facebook, snorting a little. "Oh, yes, Facebook. I try to stay away from that. Still confused on how it works, even though my--" His what? Thea was  _ dead _ .    
  
His heart sank at the thought.   
  
"Someone I used to know tried to explain it to me," his voice broke off. Was this how he was going to refer to her now? Someone he used to know.    
  
The look on Diana's face was easily mirrored by Steve, although for entirely different reason.

Diana swallowed softly and bit down on her lip. She could hear it in his tone, the loss. She slowly reached out, placing her hand over his and squeezing gently.   
  
She had no idea how connected they were. Two broken souls. Two soldiers out of time.   
  
“She was a lucky woman.” She murmured. She knew that this woman had to no longer be a part of Steve’s life due to the anguish in his tone. It was the same way she always spoke of Steve Trevor.

He was lost in his thoughts for a moment; lost in his sorrows and he couldn't believe he had named Thea someone he used to know. But what was he to name her? They hadn't gotten married so it wasn't like he could say his deceased wife, and that he was a widower. And he didn't want to name her an ex-girlfriend, as if it was just a mere relationship that had ended. No. With her died a part of him too.    
  
He wanted to lift up the spirits a little because their conversation was heading in a much sadder direction and he did not want that.   
  
He thus smiled a little, before he spoke up.   
  
"Who said it was a woman?" He teased a little.

Diana couldn’t help but smile at his change of direction, a soft smirk crossing her lips. “Really? That would be an interesting turn of events I think.” She teased him but. “Although not very surprising. You know in this day and age you never know who like who.” She mused, hand still placed over his. Part of her didn’t want to remove her hand. Not only because it meant offering him some warmth but she gained some herself from the touch.

He chuckled and shook his head. He didn’t know exactly why he had said that honestly, to lighten up the mood of course but still. “Her name was Thea,” he explained. Was. Was Thea. Because she was dead.    
  
And so his smile faded again. He looked at their hands and slowly withdrew his; he couldn’t let himself do /that/ just yet.    
  
“She usually sat where you are,” he then explained with sorrow. “She wanted to be able to see the tree. And because I was against it, it reminded her how I was her gift every year,” he explained as he looked down with a frown.

Diana smiled a little sadly, listening to Steve as he spoke of Thea. She placed her hand in her lap, feeling a bit awkward as he withdrew. She shouldn’t have been so forward. He was still healing and she was sure his wounds were more fresh than hers were.   
  
“I’m sorry.” She murmured again, staring at Steve and swallowing softly. She could see Thea’s appeal. The way the tree glistened behind Steve was magical.

It felt good a little to talk about her. He couldn’t with anyone, not really, because they knew her too and it hurt them as well.    
  
“Don’t be,” Steve nodded. “She’s in a better place now. This world— it’s not what it used to be.”

“I have no doubt that she’s in a better place.” Diana murmured and looked down at the watch she wore now on her wrist. “No. The world is nothing like it used to be.” She murmured, brushing her fingers through her hair.

It was still hard for him to talk about her. Still hard to think of her. The feud between him and Tony had distracted him from his pain, but now—    
  
Steve had said those _ ‘used to be’ _ words because he had been frozen for years, but why did she?    
  
He chuckled a little. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry, but you do seem very young, what do you mean the world is nothing like it used to be?”

Diana glanced up at him, biting her bottom lip and tapping her fingers against the table. “I could ask the very same question of you Steve.” She mused, still feeling a pang in her chest at the name. But it was just a name.   
  
“Besides, if I told you... you wouldn’t believe me and probably would think that I’m crazy.” She murmured and glanced around them.

So she didn’t recognize him then? Sure maybe he beard made him that unrecognizable. But— he was going to go with it. It was nice not to be known as  _ ‘Captain America’ _ .    
  
Because he wasn’t captain america. He was just Steve Rogers. A very lonely Steve Rogers. A Steve Rogers without his best friend and without the love of his life.   
  
On Christmas.   
  
Thankfully Diana was there or it would be so depressing.   
  
“Trust me. I’ve seen crazy. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

Diana had basically shut herself out from the world for the past century. She stuck to what she loved, History and art, and didn’t stray too far from that. Sure she had  _ heard _ of Captain America and the Avengers, but she had never wanted to involve herself in that before. But now she was trying to socialize, like her Steve would have wanted her to.   
  
She stared at Steve in front of her, eyes roaming over his features for a moment. She’d not told anyone her story in a long time. For ages it felt like. Her finger traced over the watch on her wrist again, swallowing softly.   
  
“I’m not exactly... from here.” She chose her words carefully. “If you want to hear crazy then I’ll tell you.” She tilted her head, staring into his eyes. “I was born on an island full of Amazons, the warriors from ancient mythology. And in 1918, a man crashed on our shores. A man...” she swallowed. “An American soldier that I followed to London.” She stared into Steve’s eyes. “That was... more than a hundred years ago. So tell me about your crazy.”


End file.
